Business Finland

Check eligibility first

• Most of Business Finland's funding needs a Finnish business ID and real business operations in Finland. A company based in India cannot apply to those routes directly.
• Sprint is for Finnish limited liability companies with fewer than 50 employees.
• The Deep Tech Accelerator is for start-ups under five years old when the first funding decision is made.

Choosing a programme

• Quantum connects Finnish companies and research organisations with foreign partners in quantum technology. It is listed for 2022 to 2026.
• My Business Finland offers growth and internationalisation services in one place. It does not take funding applications.
• Its EU Funding Advisory Service is for stakeholders operating within Finland.

How applications work

• Funding applications go through the funding e-service.
• During a funded project, progress is reported and changes are notified.
• Check the funding page for open calls and their dates before planning an application.

Business Finland is Finland's official government organisation for innovation funding, investment promotion, tourism and talent attraction. It is based in Helsinki and operates under the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Its main funding requires a Finnish business ID and real business operations in Finland, so a company based in India cannot apply to those routes directly.

How its programmes work

Business Finland's core funding supports research, development and innovation projects. The Sprint grant covers 75% of project costs for small Finnish companies building a new, internationally scalable solution, so they can verify its technical functionality and competitive advantage before major R&D investment. The Deep Tech Accelerator funds start-ups under five years old that were set up to commercialise recent research. Research, development and piloting funding supports innovative companies seeking significant international growth. Its pages do not say whether this is a grant or a loan. Co-innovation funding supports joint projects between research organisations and companies.

The Programs page says its programmes are being replaced by a new operating model, growth projects. It still lists programmes with active date ranges. Its networking page says programmes are open to everyone, while its Quantum and Generative AI pages define the audience as Finnish companies. Quantum also includes foreign companies that want to be involved in quantum development in Finland. These statements conflict, so check each programme's own page. Quantum connects Finnish companies and research organisations with foreign actors, and most of its services are free of charge. Generative AI concluded in June 2026.

The Programs page also lists programmes for Finnish sectors, including Health 360 Finland, Flexible Energy Systems, Creative Immersive Experiences, Zero Waste Mining and Critical Minerals, Decarbonized Cities, Hydrogen and Batteries, The Chips Campaign and Defense and Digital Resilience. Growth projects for space, semiconductors and photonics, and manufacturing AI are listed, with details of joining still to follow.

Who can apply

Most of its funding is limited to companies with a Finnish business ID and real business operations in Finland. Sprint is limited to Finnish limited liability companies with fewer than 50 employees. The Deep Tech Accelerator is for start-ups under five years old when the first funding decision is made. Its EU Funding Advisory Service is a national service for stakeholders operating within Finland. Its public procurement funding is aimed at public-sector buyers. Shipbuilding innovation aid is for the shipbuilding sector, and the audiovisual production incentive refunds costs of production carried out in Finland.

How to apply

Funding applications go through its funding e-service. Its My Business Finland service offers growth and internationalisation services in one place, but it does not take funding applications. During a funded project, progress is reported and changes are notified.

Scale

Its 2024 results report lists 4,947 funding applications, 3,318 funded projects and 2,413 companies receiving funding. These figures do not fully reconcile. 2,075 applications were rejected, which would leave fewer applications than funded projects, and the report does not explain the difference. Its own pages say it employs about 450 experts.

Who runs it

Business Finland is part of the Team Finland network. Its operations are guided by special legislation and by national and EU-level state aid regulations.

Locations

Its visiting address is Porkkalankatu 1 in Helsinki. Its pages give two different figures for its reach. Its contact page describes more than 150 experts in 40 countries. Its international site describes offices in 11 countries and an EU office in Brussels, alongside 15 locations across Finland.